Arshavin will now hope to add to the 100 league appearances he has made in his Arsenal career after last season spending much of his time on the bench and starting just eight Premier League games.

The Russian was not the only midfielder looking to make an impression after a difficult spell as Emmanuel Frimpong made a long awaited return.

Frimpong has been left frustrated after a knee injury forced him out of action for the last nine months, but he made his return to the Arsenal first team after coming off as a second half substitute against Coventry.

"We gave him 20 minutes and he looked quite fit," said Wenger. "Of course he needs games now but the good thing is that he could at least play 20 minutes."